Blood Pressure Drugs and Mood Disorders

Some common blood pressure medications may contribute to serious mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder, according to a recent study in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension, which looked at data on 525,000 people from two large Scottish hospitals. The effects varied among the major classes of drugs, as follows:

These drugs were associated with an increased risk for mood disorders requiring hospitalization: Beta blockers (such as metoprolol and propranolol); calcium antagonists, also called calcium channel blockers (such as amlodipine and diltiazem)

These drugs were associated with a decreased risk for mood disorders requiring hospitalization: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (such as benazepril and lisinopril); angiotensin-receptor blockers (such as losartan and valsartan)

These drugs did not seem to affect mood disorders: Thiazide diuretics (such as hydrochlorothiazide and metolazone)

While these findings need to be confirmed by clinical trials, for people with mood disorders and their doctors, “it is worthwhile remembering that antihypertensive drugs may have an impact on mental health,” the researchers concluded. If you take a drug to control your blood pressure, do not stop taking it without consulting your doctor or other health care provider.